Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transcutaneous communication in implantable medical devices and, more particularly, to interleaving power and data in a transcutaneous communication link.
Related Art
Medical devices having one or more implantable components, generally referred to as implantable medical devices, have provided a wide range of therapeutic benefits to patients over recent decades. In particular, devices such as hearing aids, implantable pacemakers, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, such as Cochlear™ prostheses, organ assist or replacement devices, and other partially or completely-implanted medical devices, have been successful in performing life saving and/or lifestyle enhancement functions for a number of years.
As such, the type of implantable devices and the range of functions performed thereby have increased over the years. For example, many such implantable medical devices often include one or more instruments, apparatus, sensors, processors, controllers or other functional mechanical, electrical or electronic components that are permanently or temporarily implanted in a patient to perform diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or management of a disease or injury or symptom thereof, or to investigate, replace or modify of the anatomy or of a physiological process. Many of these implantable components receive power and/or data from external components that are part of, or operate in conjunction with, the implantable component. In particular, many such implantable medical devices include a power source integrated into the implantable component. Some larger systems include more than one implantable component of which one is a power source which provides power to another implantable component. Such power sources are typically rechargeable batteries although other types of power sources have be implemented as well.
One such type of medical device is a Cochlear™ prosthesis (commonly referred to as a Cochlear™ prosthetic device, Cochlear™ implant, Cochlear™ device, and the like; simply “cochlear implants” herein.) Cochlear implants are to a specific type of hearing prostheses that deliver electrical stimulation to the cochlea of a recipient. As used herein, cochlear implants also include hearing prostheses that deliver electrical stimulation in combination with other types of stimulation, such as acoustic or mechanical stimulation.